I don't see any team with Ed Wade as GM ever being a threat for anything other than 4th place.

St. Louis gets even older and does not bolster anything on its team thats held together with duct tape, string, paperclip, and some magic dust of Dave Duncan's except time spent on the DL with Berkman. Although they still have Albert the Great.

Chicago is still Chicago they'd figure out a way to screw up a 3-car parade.

traderumor

01-25-2011, 08:05 PM

I don't see any team with Ed Wade as GM ever being a threat for anything other than 4th place.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6058659
Rodriguez-$34M/3 years

As the Astros throw money at one of my least favorite pitchers, that bodes well for all other NL Central teams.

Boss-Hog

01-25-2011, 08:12 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6058659
Rodriguez-$34M/3 years

As the Astros throw money at one of my least favorite pitchers, that bodes well for all other NL Central teams.
At 32, that's a lot of money the Astros gave him but Wandy usually does pretty darn well against us.

RedsManRick

01-25-2011, 08:29 PM

Wandy is one of the most underrated starters in the game, IMO. I think Wade got a very good deal there.

lollipopcurve

01-25-2011, 08:32 PM

Wandy is one of the most underrated starters in the game, IMO. I think Wade got a very good deal there.

Agreed. Very good pitcher. Helps himself in the field and at bat too.

oneupper

01-25-2011, 08:43 PM

Wandy is 32? I could have sworn he was like 27. Man, I'm old.

VR

01-25-2011, 08:59 PM

Wandy is 32? I could have sworn he was like 27. Man, I'm old.

I was thinking the same.....but he was 27 when he broke into the league in 2005. Late bloomer.

traderumor

01-25-2011, 11:05 PM

Wandy is one of the most underrated starters in the game, IMO. I think Wade got a very good deal there.I don't think he'll get his money's worth. My estimation is that he just got paid for being a tick above average on bad teams and has likely hit the peak of a lackluster career. I'm just glad it is another team and not the Reds paying that type of money for pitchers like Wandy. They sure have spent their share of dough on his type over the years.

RedsManRick

01-25-2011, 11:26 PM

I don't think he'll get his money's worth. My estimation is that he just got paid for being a tick above average on bad teams and has likely hit the peak of a lackluster career. I'm just glad it is another team and not the Reds paying that type of money for pitchers like Wandy. They sure have spent their share of dough on his type over the years.

Well, he's put up 4.0 and 3.6 WAR in the last two years. In free agency this year, teams have paid about $5M/WAR.

In his last year of FA and 2 years of FA, that's the equivalent of 2.8 years of FA. If he's just a 3 WAR/year pitcher, that's worth $42M on the free agent market.

Heck, just just look at the Reds. He's got better career numbers than any of our starters save for Travis Wood. He's going to get paid less than Arroyo.

You're right, he's at his peak. And a 3 year deal makes sense in that case. I just don't see how you argue he's a "tick above average" when by any objective measure, he's been among the most effective starters in the NL over the past 3 years. The criticism strikess me as almost completely ad hominem. Ed Wade did it, therefore it must be bad. He's a really poor GM, but I just don't see an objective analysis which suggests this was a bad move.

camisadelgolf

01-25-2011, 11:51 PM

There was a long stretch last year when his stuff was flat-out not there. Whatever tinkering his coach did, it worked out, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him go through another bad spell, and who knows what would have happened if the flaws in his mechanics weren't pointed out to him?

traderumor

01-26-2011, 12:00 AM

Well, he's put up 4.0 and 3.6 WAR in the last two years. In free agency this year, teams have paid about $5M/WAR.

In his last year of FA and 2 years of FA, that's the equivalent of 2.8 years of FA. If he's just a 3 WAR/year pitcher, that's worth $42M on the free agent market.

Heck, just just look at the Reds. He's got better career numbers than any of our starters save for Travis Wood. He's going to get paid less than Arroyo.

You're right, he's at his peak. And a 3 year deal makes sense in that case. I just don't see how you argue he's a "tick above average" when by any objective measure, he's been among the most effective starters in the NL over the past 3 years. The criticism strikess me as almost completely ad hominem. Ed Wade did it, therefore it must be bad. He's a really poor GM, but I just don't see an objective analysis which suggests this was a bad move."among the most effective starters" is hyperbole. You like Wandy, I don't, moving on.

Ron Madden

01-26-2011, 05:14 AM

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6058659
Rodriguez-$34M/3 years

As the Astros throw money at one of my least favorite pitchers, that bodes well for all other NL Central teams.

I'm not sure this bodes so well for the rest of the NL Central. Wandy is one of the most effective LH starters in the division, not a bad move by the Astros IMHO.

Mario-Rijo

01-26-2011, 01:09 PM

Well, he's put up 4.0 and 3.6 WAR in the last two years. In free agency this year, teams have paid about $5M/WAR.

In his last year of FA and 2 years of FA, that's the equivalent of 2.8 years of FA. If he's just a 3 WAR/year pitcher, that's worth $42M on the free agent market.

Heck, just just look at the Reds. He's got better career numbers than any of our starters save for Travis Wood. He's going to get paid less than Arroyo.

You're right, he's at his peak. And a 3 year deal makes sense in that case. I just don't see how you argue he's a "tick above average" when by any objective measure, he's been among the most effective starters in the NL over the past 3 years. The criticism strikess me as almost completely ad hominem. Ed Wade did it, therefore it must be bad. He's a really poor GM, but I just don't see an objective analysis which suggests this was a bad move.

Agree 1000%, not really sure how TR can debate this whatsoever. He may not like the guy but beyond that the past 3-4 years Wandy has been anywhere from a solid to above average starter in the NL. Just a guess but he must have remembered the Wandy that 1st came up what 6 years ago, he was that Wandy for 2 seasons and been a different pitcher since. I'd take him in a heartbeat for that deal and throw in Arroyo to boot.